Rolling hills and fields cover 87% of our rooftop, offering a home to local wildlife while keeping the Academy green in more ways than one.

Our living roof is more than beautiful—it's the heart of the Academy. Weather stations on the roof monitor wind, rain, and changes in temperature to help inform the building's automated systems and skylights, keeping rainforest temps just right, the interior piazza cool and comfortable, and natural light streaming to the exhibits below.

Edged by solar panels, the roof's seven hills are lined with 50,000 porous, biodegradable vegetation trays made from tree sap and coconut husks. An estimated 1.7 million plants fill the trays, their roots interlocking to create an extraordinary oasis for birds, insects, people, and other creatures.